A U.S. military helicopter made an emergency landing on a beach in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Thursday, with no reports of injuries or damage to the aircraft.
The aircraft ¡ª an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter that belongs to the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron at U.S. Naval Air Facility Atsugi ¡ª landed at around 11:06 a.m., according to base spokesperson Gregory Mitchell. He added that three individuals were on board.
At around 11:20 a.m., the fire department received a call that a helicopter made a ¡°precautionary landing¡± on a beach in the city. The helicopter resumed flight at around 3 p.m.
The fire department, along with the U.S. Navy¡¯s Atsugi base, are continuing to probe the incident. Mitchell confirmed that the landing was ¡°precautionary¡± and that no one was injured, adding that the cause of the incident is under investigation.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters that he has instructed officials to gather information ¡°swiftly and thoroughly.¡±
¡°When operating U.S. military aircraft, the foremost priority is ensuring safety,¡± He said. ¡°We will continue to call for thorough safety management.¡±
In footage taken by NHK at around noon, the U.S. military helicopter is seen on a beach with the word ¡°NAVY¡± visible in English on the aircraft.
Nearby, local firefighters can be seen speaking with individuals likely to be crew members.
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